Posted on 01/08/2008 10:34:23 AM PST by america4vr
The U.S. military has video and audio recordings of Iranian high-speed boats that threatened to blow up a three-ship U.S. convoy in the Persian Gulf and plans to release them, the top U.S. Navy commander in the Mideast said Tuesday.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said that its boats never threatened the U.S. vessels during the encounter early Sunday in the Hormuz Strait, insisting it only asked them to identify themselves then let them continue into the Gulf.
But U.S. Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff disputed that account, saying the incident was "provocative."
Cosgriff, the commander of U.S. 5th Fleet, which patrols the Gulf and is based in nearby Bahrain, said the identity of the American vessels was obvious, they were clearly marked and the incident took place during daylight when they could be seen.
"I can't help but conclude that it was provocative," Cosgriff told The Associated Press during a telephone interview Tuesday — the same day President Bush was scheduled to leave for his first major trip to the Middle East.
"There is video" of the incident, Cosgriff said. "We're using it as part of our assessment. That will be made available in due course, as well as the audio."
The White House echoed Cosgriff's characterization Tuesday, calling Iran's actions "reckless."
"It was not normal behavior," said White House press secretary Dana Perino. "It's just another point of reference for people in the region who are concerned about the behavior of Iran."
The Pentagon said five small Iranian boats repeatedly "charged" three U.S. warships — cruiser USS Port Royal, destroyer USS Hopper and frigate USS Ingraham — on what the U.S. Navy called a routine passage in international waters.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
The is the sort of unbalanced behavior the civilized world is so emphatically concerned about that gives pause to the nightmarish scenario of having these provocative maniacs with their itchy-trigger fingers on a nuclear weapon. Now, take this sort of maniacal behavior combine it with the intense religious zealotry whereby they believe provoking an apocalyptic event serves to expedite the arrival of their religious savior, their Messiah,the Twelfth Imam, and you've got yourself a very worrisome scenario, to say the least.
Liberals will whine that Bush is pushing for war by having the warships there in the first place.
Of course, idiot liberals will miss that we’ve had warships in that area for long before Bush was President, protecting the oil shipping lanes.
“Of course, idiot liberals will miss that we’ve had warships in that area for long before Bush was President, protecting the oil shipping lanes.”
Liberals “feel” they don’t think, they also react, they don’t plan. Remove the warships, allow the transport of oil to become more risky, let the price of gas go up, and watch the same liberals cry that Bush needs to do something.
I hate liberals. I really friggin hate them.
They can whine, but we’re in international waters and they can’t do jack to us without implicitly threatening all countries ...
Instant replay is a b*tch, isn’t it, Iran?
Good! I posted yesterday that I hoped there was audio and video. Good!
I agree totally. Can you imagine if they had actually attacked one of our ships in international waters?
These psychos might have been engaging in a dry run, to test our reaction.
Don’t forget the Ron Paul types.
Ping
I don’t understand why we just didn’t hose all those boats.
Just turn the Phalanx canons on them and make em, puff, disappear.
ping
After further review of the play penalty goes to Iran. USA ball. Fire at will.
If that is the case,
...and those five small boats are not full of holes on the bottom of the sea...
...then I would have to concur with the judgement of the NY Post:
Iran: 1
US: 0
Next time, they should put them all on the sea floor.
Keep their eyes open for an ambush. The Iranians might have had 1000 rockets ready to be launched at one juicy target simultaneously. Maybe not even one of the ships involved in this feign. Maybe an aircraft carrier located someplace else.
This may have been a diversionary feign to attract fire at four dispensible targets and give them the pretext to try sink an aircraft carrier a hundred miles away.
I’m sure the Phalanx was on them.You don’t have to turn it.It’s computer controlled to swing on any threat approaching the vessel.
I would imagine we are laying the ground work for just that scenario ... coming to a theater near you soon.
It is necessary to understand other things along with the immediate event. Mars will not be in prograde until 1 Feb.
“I hate liberals. I really friggin hate them.”
You and me both. I think they want to totally destroy freedom, America and Western civilization.
I can’t decide who’s the most insane and dangerous, the left, “liberals” or the Islamofruitcakes. They’re all totally nuts. Insane. Bizarre suicidal death cults.
Hose ‘em, then put it down to “spontaneous combustion”!
Of course had we fired, it would have had many repercussions.
But our people and assets must be protected.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.